The adventures of one - Marianne's blog

Trip to Ireland - Day 10 - What I learned & last days in Dublin

2011-10-02T17:37:00.000-06:00

So while I'm still adjusting to a different time zone, I thought I'd write about the last few days in ireland and what I learned. Figure this was I good way to wrap up my trip emails. :-)

What I learned in Ireland:

There are two types of weather in Ireland: Raining and about to rain. It only actually rained twice last week. Once for 3 days, and the second time lasted 4 days. ;)
It is always windy and I shouldn't even try to do my hair.
Irish potatoes are incredible yummy and are different than Idaho potatoes.
Black and White pudding is very tasty, until you find out what it's made of.
Pubs are awesome. Pubs stand for public houses and are wonderful social places to eat and socialize. Not at all like what bars are here. Non-drinkers are welcome.
Live Irish music is a treasure.
You don't say, "Why do you drive on the wrong side of the road?" It's not the wrong side, it's just the left side. I didn't say this mind you...I knew better.
Ireland and its people are even more friendly, warm, enchanting, magical and beautiful as I thought they were.

On a more personal note..

I learned that traveling solo is not as scary as I thought it would be.
I'm much more travel savvy than I thought.
Finding someone (future spouse) who loves to travel as much as I do is really important to me.
God is very mindful of us and does send His angels to watch over and protect us.
While tour groups are fun and informative, I'm glad there are other options.

Ireland was the trip I felt like I needed to go on. I'm not sure if there was any specific reason why or if I will know why anytime soon, but I'm so glad I went.

Here are the highlights of my last day in Dublin.

The night in the hostel went fine. I was next to a window on one of the busiest streets in Dublin. I knew this was the case when I booked the place, but the prime location outweighed the noise factor. I didn't sleep much, but I slept enough. That morning I was able to get breakfast and head out to do a few last minute things in Dublin.

I was so hoping to see the first edition of the book of Mormon at Trinity College but the library wasn't open. I found a fun place to sit and read a paper about the ten year anniversary of September 11th. It was nice to have just a moment to just sit and take in.

Pretty soon it was time to check out of the hostel and catch my bus to the airport. There were heavy winds and they delayed our flight from Dublin by 2 hours. The plane was taking longer than usual to service. No problem. It made my 5 hour layover in Chicago only 3 hours.

As we waited, the passengers all got a bit chatty. I ended up visiting with three sisters from Nebraska who had come to Ireland for fun. They were telling me their adventures in driving. I also sat by an Irish woman who had moved to California several years ago, but had just come back to visit family. It was fun for her to hear about our trips and what we thought of her beautiful country. It was nice to visit with all of them.

The flight went well and I was able to stay awake the entire time. Now the flight from Chicago to Salt Lake was different. By that time it was about 3 and 4 am Ireland time and I just couldn't stay awake. No worries though I slept fine when I got home except that I have this thing where I wake up at 3 and 4 in the morning. :-) I always seem to have more issues adjusting when coming back.

Here's one last Irish blessing and some of my favorite photos of my favorite times and people from the trip. :)

May love and laughter light your days,

And warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

Wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

With joy that long endures.

May all life's passing season

Bring the best to you and yours.

Trip to Ireland - Day 9 - Train back to Dublin

2011-10-01T19:07:00.000-06:00

Today was my last day with the tour group. Part of me couldn't wait and part of me was quite sad. I had made friends with everybody in the group and I am going to miss them. I also wish I had more time to see the rest of Ireland with them as they go to Dingle and Cork. It was a good group and they all feel like family. As I left they all gave me big hugs, even the guys. The Australians even gave me a kiss on the cheek.

This morning we went and saw some more cliffs in a small sleepy town called Kilkee. The energy of the ocean was amazing and it was quite a site to see massive waves crashing into the rocks. There was that big storm that came through and it's made for some very big waves.

We caught a small ferry that lasted about 20 minutes. Great for people watching. There was a motor home pulling this iddy bitty car looking thing. It looked more like a windup toy. Found out it's called a Peel Trident and only 45 were ever made. Here's a photo because you just need to see it. :)

I guess another highlight on the ferry ride was the 3 German guys who seemed to take a liking to me. They spoke just enough English to say hello and how are ya. After that it was all smiles and waves. The rest of my group enjoyed watching these German guys watch me. As one of the Australians put it, "it was if they'd never seen a pretty girl before." It was fun, especially knowing that nothing would come of it.

About lunch time we stopped off in a small town called Tralee. It was time for me to catch my train. I said my goodbyes and got on a nice train. I do love trains. This one was more of a commuter type train and not built for excessive comfort,though it was comfortable enough. Watching the countryside go by and overhearing different conversations was grand fun. There were quite a few different Irish accents floating around depending on where in Ireland they're from, especially in Northern Ireland.

Made it to Dublin just fine. Found something to eat and checked into my hostel. It's right by a busy road so we'll see if I get any sleep tonight, but the location is prime and the hot shower was one of the best I've had yet. I'm rooming with 2 Germans and an Australian. Nice girls. The hostel has a fun flavor and it's fun to see where everybody's from. We all have the love of travel in common and it makes for a comfortable atmosphere. I feel like people get me here because they are the same way. :-)

Oh kind of a fun thing they told us about on the tour. There is a man here named Willie Daly and he is an old Irish matchmaker. He's from this little town, but people from around the world work with him. He puts on this matchmaking festival every year and apparently he's quite successful in what he does. Apparently it's in his genes. His father and grandfather were also matchmakers. To keep up with the times he even has a website. :-) Anyway... I got teased about getting with the matchmaker to find me a match. You wouldn't believe it...everyone on the tour wants me to keep in touch and keep them posted on my relationship status. Too funny.

Here's another Irish blessing

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow
For every tear, a smile
For every care, a promise
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem that life sends
A faithful friend to share
For every sigh, a sweet song
And an answer to each prayer.

Trip to Ireland - Day 8 - Cliffs of Mohor

2011-09-30T22:04:00.000-06:00

I can't believe this trip is wrapping up already. Trips always seem to go by so fast, especially when I'm having so much fun!

Sign seen at all edges of the Cliffs of Mohor.

Today's highlight was seeing the Cliffs of Mohor. They were pretty spectacular, even if the weather was less than ideal. I just stood in silent awe for a long time watching the huge waves crash against the sides of the cliffs. I'm so glad I was able to see them first hand since photos just don't do them justice.

We saw another castle which was pretty cool. They let us walk all up in it and see everything. They have castles everywhere. You see them all along the road as if it's the most common thing in the world. I think they said there were over 300 all over the country.

You wouldn't believe the rock walls everywhere! I love them! I love the way they create little patterns in the green fields. So much work went into building them. Some of the walls have been there for hundreds of years. I made sure to take plenty of photos. :)

We saw another Neolithic tomb. This one had a great big table rock. That's where they have 2 slabs of huge flat rocks standing and then another flat slab across the top. No one really knows how they were able to move these massive stones. Quite the site to see and they have them everwhere.

We stopped off in Galway for lunch. It quite the happening city. 120,000 people, but has a sort of small town feel. They describe it has a bohemian type of city. Lots of street performers. Definitely a different flavor than Dublin. We saw the shop that made the original design of the Claddagh ring. The ring shows two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. The saying goes "With these hands I give you my heart and crown it with my love."

Tomorrow is my last day with the group. I catch a train about lunchtime and head back to Dublin. I'll miss the tour, but am looking forward to doing my own thing again. I'm hoping to get to see a few more things in Dublin before flying out tomorrow afternoon.

Trip to Ireland - Day 7 - Live Irish Music Rocks!

2011-09-30T08:38:00.000-06:00

The highlight of today was the live music we got to hear in a town called Clifton. Charming little city and the atmosphere just added to magic of the live music. In a pub called Connelly's, 3 guys played from 9:30 to midnight. They were amazing! The fiddle player was 29 and he could play anything. He played the fiddle and guitar with such ease that he almost looked bored. The way that each member plays off each other was incredible. You knew they loved their music and enjoyed playing with each other because it came through the music. The pub atmosphere just added to the fun. At one point the fiddle player started Irish dancing on the tables and then the bar while still playing madly on the fiddle. It. Was. Awesome!!! We even had a few old Irishmen just pop in to dance a jig to some of the tunes. Most people in the bars knew the words to the songs and it was one big sing-a-long most of the time. When we all got to clapping and singing, the energy of it all was incredible. I love that I was able to see that and in a way be a part of.

So half of our group was on the 5 day trip so we said goodbye to them today. It was sad to see my favorite Australian leave. She has been such a pleasure to be with and was also a bit of a buffer from this other single gal on the trip. No worries though. I'm still enjoying the tour and the people on it, but I do enjoy the time when I can escape to my room and be alone or enjoy some quiet on some of the hikes we go on.

We were supposed to visit the Aran Islands, but the trip was cancelled because of a force 9 gael (storm). We could get out to the islands, but would not be able to get back. They've cancelled all the ferry boats, which is quite rare. It must be quite the storm. Our poor guide isn't quite sure what we'll do, but I'm sure there is a lot to see. We also switch guides today. The guides can only drive 6 days at a time. We are getting a musician named Wendy. We usually get two or three Irish songs every day and the stories behind them. So fun!

So I am loving the time for tea. I bought a box of assorted herbal teas at the start of the trip and enjoy a cup or two every day. Its been nice since I've been fighting off a cold. :-).

Here's several random pictures from the day.

I finally got a shower with an actual shower curtain! I was so excited about it, but then I experienced what the Australian had been talking about. The curtain will cling to you and you spend most of your time fighting with the curtain. I guess that's why they use the half shower doors instead. It was the most bizarre experience. I don't know if it had to do with the extra humidity, the shower curtain not being weighed down, or maybe it just wasn't set out far enough. Regardless...I get it now.

We stopped by and saw Kylemore Abbey. Very pretty, but you had to pay like 10 euro to go see it up close. So this is as close as we got.

These photos were taken seriously 5 minutes a part. It will be sunny one minute and then it's raining the next. But then it's sunny again. :)

We stopped to stretch our legs and found we had company. You'll also notice that he's standing behind a bush of wild raspberries. Very yummy!

We stopped by a Potato Famine memorial. Quite haunting.

If I'd been in Ireland any longer I would have picked me up a pair of these.

Trip to Ireland - Day 6 - Weavers, Waterfalls, and Cliffs

2011-09-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

Today was a good day. Well all my days have been good days here. Nothing really exists outside Ireland right now. Not work, boys, or any other worry. It's quite lovely really and one of the main reasons I love to travel. I get to leave it all behind and be carefree.

I sleep so well here. it's probably due to exhaustion and the sea air, but I melt into bed every night and don't even remember dreaming. I only wish I could sleep a bit longer, but I can do that when I get home. There's too much to see and do here.

First thing this morning we saw an old weaver who has been using his homemade loom for over 50 years. He explained the process and how everything worked. He showed us how the different patterns were created and how he could make over 4 meters of weave in an hour. He then sends it off to be tailored into suits, hats, and lots of other things. He was truly fascinating and it was amazing to watch him work. Weaving is becoming a lost art.

On our drive to Sligo, we happened upon a spontaneous waterfall. I guess that's what happens when it rains so much. It was big and coming down fast. I tell you what... We are all over the cheap thrills. The sheep, the waterfalls, thatched roofs, castles and rainbows. :-) They are almost everywhere. No wonder there's talk of fairies and little people. This place is quite enchanting. Our poor tour guide has to pullover quite a bit for us to take pictures, but he's quite good about it.

Field for drying turf. Turf is burned to use for heat and fuel.

We will see the Cliffs of Mohor in a few days, but today we saw the tallest cliffs in Europe, the Slieve League. They are over 600 meters high and coach buses can't make it to them. So we were some of the few people there. They were beautiful and quite the sight to behold. They don't quite drop straight down like the Cliffs of Mohor, but they are still quite impressive. The weather was gorgeous and we took lots and lots of photos.

Our guide is really into Neolithic stone forts and tombs. I guess there's over 400 that dot the island and that's only the ones they've discovered so far. We stopped by another huge one and they truly are a sight to see. Yes, they are just a pile of giant rocks stacked on top of each other, surrounded by thousands of smaller rocks. But when you consider how they got there, how old they are, and how in the world they were able to stack these massive rocks on top of each other, it's truly an amazing site.

I think most of us are a bit warn out. I think we all dozed off for a bit in the jeep while we were driving. We might need a vacation from our vacation.:-)

Tomorrow is day 5 of the group tour and half of our group is leaving. A few of them I will miss quite a lot. The one Australian who came on her own, Jennifer, I will miss quite a bit. She's such a classy lady and has been such great company. She's going to rent a car and spend 10 days traveling around the rest of the island on her own. She's got to be in her mid 60's, but she's still just as adventurous as ever.

Irish blessing for the day:

May the frost never afflict your spuds.
May the leaves of your cabbage always be free from worms.
May the crows never pick your haystack.
If you inherit a donkey, may she be in foal.

Trip to Ireland - Day 5 - Derry, Castles, and Forts..oh my!

2011-09-28T18:53:00.001-06:00

My hair has been a mess most days.
Seriously, with the scattered rain, the intense wind, and the humidity - it just has a craziness about it. I actually have been just enjoying it. I don't care and it's nice to NOT have to care. :)

We drove onto a gorgeous beach yesterday and just walked along the sand. We were the only ones there except for a man and his two dogs. Because of the rain we got the day before there were waterfalls and it had created a small river on the beach. This guy was so sweet and was giving rides across it with his jeep. The Irish hospitality and generosity is everywhere. We, Americans, could learn a few things.

The whole Vagabond group

Random Beach Lookout spot.

The three solo travelers in our group.

We stopped off in the walled city of Derry/Londonderry and did a walking tour to get the history. We also got an in-depth look at the site where Bloody Sunday took place. Lots to take in. Well worth the time though. Beautiful city. I could have spent a lot more time there.

Bloody Sunday Mural taken from newspaper clipping

Beautiful flower garden in downtown Derry/Londonderry

Soup and wheat bread was my lunch most days. Yum!

We went inland and drove across rugged, rocky land. Still green, but different then what we had been seeing. We visited yet another old Neolithic ring fort up on top of a large hill. The view was amazing. We soon saw a storm quickly moving in and we barely made it to the car before it was a downpour. Don't worry though it only lasted 5 minutes and the strong wind blew it off. The whole concept of scattered rain showers has new meaning. The weather has been mostly rainy, but we find ourselves not even noticing or caring anymore. It's just part of this beautiful country and we are embracing it. As our guide says, before we know it we'll be sleepin' in our rain gear.

We also visited a castle not far from Donegal. It was pretty spectacular. Out in the middle of no where and overlooking a large loch (lake). It was quite fascinating. My pictures of the castle didn't really turn out, but here are a few of the gardens out back.

Jennifer was so classy and cute!

Heated swimming pool out by the lake.

Half shower walls

I don't know why but a lot of the showers have only half a shower wall. It's in a bath tub, but it has only half a shower door that covers half the length of the tub. Not quite sure about the logic behind that one. Makes for some interesting shower maneuvering so that the water stays in the tub and not all over the floor. If someone knows why only half...please fill me in. :)

Tomorrow we are stopping by a weaver's to see how he makes scarfs and such. We might even get a chance to do a bit of shopping.

Our tour group is becoming quite close and we enjoy each others company quite a lot. Some will be leaving in a few days and that will be sad to see them go. It has been a gift to know them though.

Here's my Irish blessing of the day:

May good luck be your friend
In whatever you do
And may trouble be always
A stranger to you

Trip to Ireland - Day 4 - Giant's Causeway

2011-09-27T08:02:00.001-06:00

I am in love with Ireland.

I am loving the British/Irish English too. :) I'm getting it from all sides. We have it from our Irish tour guide, Mark (who is fabulous). I'm also in a car load of Australians and have lots of time to visit with them. I love it. I wish we spoke more like they do. It sounds more proper, intelligent, and charming. :)

So the dynamics in my group are interesting. Basically, what has happened is I'm the youngest and I now have 12 people watching out for me and they have all sort of adopted me. I sometimes feel like a little kid, but have had such wonderful conversations with most of them. Last night I spent the evening talking with this couple from Baltimore. They guessed pretty fast I was Mormon since I didn't have any alcohol at dinner. They seem to know a bit about us and respect us. They have really taken a liking to me and I seem to be in a lot of their photos.

We went and saw the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge this morning. It was very windy. I mean...walk sideways just to keep from falling over, windy. Everyone whimped out, so I was the only one to cross the bridge. It was quite sturdy and since I was the only one to do it, the rest took pictures of me. I mean I know these people are in there 50's and up, but most of them are in pretty good shape and are game for a lot of things, especially the Australians. But...they aren't quite as adventurous as maybe I think they should be. :-)

We saw the most amazing rainbow today. We even saw the end of it dip down into the ocean. I've never seen the end of the rainbow before. Quite what you'd expect, but still very cool.

We saw Giant's Causeway and was able to beat most of the tour buses there. It truly was an amazing site. The formations are just incredible! It rained and was very windy so I don't know if pictures turned out, but it was a lot of fun. It was blowing so hard we all couldn't help but just laugh. Ok, well the rest of the group had also had a tour of the whiskey distillery up the street so they were all extra happy. :) We ended up all pretty wet and wind blown, but it was worth it to be able to see that site.

We also stopped by an old castle called Dunluce. Part of it was quite old, but a lot of it had been restored. It was the first castle we've seen so far. I'm sure it will be the first of many. They are everywhere.

We're in a B&B tonight and it's just fabulous. Seriously, I feel like I'm staying in a 4 or 5 star place. Everybody has been so kind and the food is just wonderful. Nothing too fancy, but just warm and wonderful.


Freshly squeezed orange juice, muesli with yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Traveling with a group tour has been interesting. I have enjoyed everything and everyone, don't get me wrong. But I do miss the freedom of pulling off and taking a picture or wandering here or there. While I am enjoying the luxuries of places we're staying, I miss the adventure it is when you get to rough it a bit more. I love eating only what's in your backpack and finding a hidden oasis you stumbled upon because you were wandering. It's been great fun to meet new people and make new friends. I'm excited for what the next few days hold, but I do miss the easy conversations you have with a good travel buddy. It's been good to learn that about myself. There's been a lot of that... Learning who I am when I'm in a foreign country on my own and what I like and don't like. It's been an opportunity I am grateful for.

I seriously can't believe how beautiful it is here. If green wasn't already my favorite color, it sure would be now. The fields dotted with sheep and cows are just breathtaking. Designs are made in the fields because they are separated by bush walls or rock walls. In some ways it is very peaceful here. In other ways you can feel the contention. It's quite interesting.

All of the signs were in English and Gaelic

Trip to Ireland - Day 3 - Vagabond Tours

2011-09-26T20:29:00.001-06:00

The Vagatron - Vagabond Tour Vehicle

I was up quite early to make sure I was able to meet my tour group this morning. I made it ok, but it was a bit stressful for a bit. I made sure I caught the bus plenty early, but with traffic to the city centre, it took much longer than I thought. I was a bit flustered and got a bit turned around trying to find the Tourism Centre were I was to meet everybody. When I did find the place no one from the tour was there. I guess they all met at the hotel earlier.

Anyway I found them and got all sorted. Turns out I am the youngest one in the group, probably by at least 25 years. I was quite surprised actually. I have mixed feelings about it, but overall it's been good. The group is half American and half Australian. I already have a few wanting to line me up with their single sons.

We went up into Northern Ireland and it is quite different here. It is beautiful and nice to be out of the big city. We went for a hike first thing up a small mountain where there was a Neolithic tomb at the top. Part of the hike was for our tour guide to access our physical abilities. Most everybody did ok. I think we had maybe 2 or 3 that weren't able to do it.

View from the top of the hill

The hike was beautiful and with us being so close to sea level, it was so easy to breath. The ground was a bit muddy from a recent storm, but that just added to the fun. The ground is quite spongy due to all of the peat in the soil. Quite a bit different than the rock-filled clay soil we have in Utah.

Can you tell which are rocks and which are sheep?

Rock and Fushia on the hill side.

Massive Neolithic tomb on of top of the hill

Neolithic tomb opening

Getting into the Neolithic tomb

What humidity, rain, and wind does to my hair

In Belfast, I took a black taxi cab tour around the city. It was very informative and was quite intense really to understand the division between the Catholics and Protestants. It actually is mostly political. We saw the "Peace Wall" and several murals from each side. Quite a sobering tour.

Belfast Black taxi

Mural spells out the word PLAY

Freaky mural where the gun barrel follows you where ever you stand

Mural of the Red Hand of Ulster

One of the gates in the "Peace Wall" in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Peace Wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Black Taxi's in front of the "Peace Wall" in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Houses on the other side of the Peace Wall have to protect themselves from Petrol Bombs

Memorial on the Catholic side of the Peace Wall in Belfast

Rubber bullet used by the Garda (police) in Belfast

We're in a hotel tonight on the coast. I can see Scotland from my room window. Its quite a nice place we're staying in, much nicer than anything I would have booked for myself.

The weather has been perfect. It's been warm when it needed to be and wet when we were driving. The Lord truly has been watching out for us.

Hotel in Glens of Atrim in Northern Ireland

Boat dock in the sleepy town of Glens of Atrim

Random guy fishing out on a rock

I'm still having fun and can't believe how green and beautiful it is here. My pictures just won't do it justice. I'm quite tired tonight and will head to bed soon. We are going to see Giant's Causeway and Derry tomorrow. It will be a good day, but quite full.

Irish music in my head...

2011-09-26T12:03:00.000-06:00

I know I need to finish posting pictures and my journal entries of my Ireland trip. My life got extremely crazy since I got home, so it's taking longer than I thought to get them posted.

But...while you wait...here's a few Irish songs I enjoyed on my trip and have had in my head since I've been home.

Trip to Ireland - Day 2 - Sunday in Dublin

2011-09-16T05:42:00.000-06:00

So I mentioned that I picked up a few things at the grocery store Saturday in Dublin.

Here's a few pictures of what I got.

They had Weetabix in Namibia when I was there and I loved it. They even had these granola bars which were very yummy. Weetabix normally comes in the shape of soap bars. They're dried, but you pour milk over the top and they soften and it becomes cold or hot cereal depending on the temperature of your milk. Good stuff and it sticks to your ribs. :)

Mozzarella and Cheddar String Cheese

Ireland has wonderful dairy products. Yum!

Tea was kind of mandatory.

Everybody either drinks tea or coffee in Ireland. It's a very social thing.

So I picked up some herbal tea and I was quite impressed. Wish they had some of this in the states.

Black & White Pudding.

Ok...so I didn't buy this, but I did want a picture of it. If you're not sure what it is, you can google it.

It's very tasty and it's a common thing to have for breakfast. Americans seem to get a little squeamish when they find out what it is though. So...if you plan on going to Ireland and partaking of some yummy food, don't worry about what it is. :)

I made it to church just fine and ended up staying not only the full 3 hours, but they had a "chew and chat" after. Its like their munch 'n mingle.

Since I had forgotten my yummy snacks and my water bottle and my camera (these are photos from my phone), I decided that staying for the "chew and chat" was an even better idea. I would have stayed anyway because I was enjoying the people so much.

Great food and so much fun to visit with these good members. I even made friends with two Brazilian sisters. It's not a big ward and there were so few of us that it seemed normal to have dinner afterwards. They're a close knit group and a very welcoming ward. I felt more at home there than I have in my own ward. Members were from all over, Congo, South Africa, Canada, Brazil, and of course Ireland. I met a guy at the "chew and chat" and he asked me out on a date. :-) Get this though, he's deaf and he did all of this through writing notes on my phone and charades. Since I was leaving the very next day with my tour group and had plans for the rest of the day, I politely declined. I was flattered though. He was a nice guy.

The rest of the day I spent walking all over downtown Dublin. I did a bit of window shopping, walked through a cemetery, visited a few churches and cathedrals and made sure I knew where to meet my tour group in the morning.

Oh get this...the Trinity College has a first edition of the Book of Mormon. They have no idea of it's value or really what it is because they will let people pick it up and thumb through the pages. I guess you can't check it out, but isn't that amazing?! The missionaries told me that today and I tried to go see it, but the library was closed.

The weather was gorgeous today! We got some sun, some rain, and then more sun. I even got hot. :) My hair and skin are loving the humidity. I can't believe how curly my hair is.

Here's my Irish blessing for the day...

May the good saints protect you

And bless you today

And may troubles ignore you

Each step of the way

Trip to Ireland - Day 1 - Dublin

2011-09-14T19:44:00.001-06:00

I had written emails to my parents while I was in Ireland and I'd like to share them here. I thought it would be fun to share stories and photos of my latest adventure. So I'll post one post for each day.

Ireland - Day 1 - Dublin (9/3/11)

My first day in Ireland has been great. The weather was warmer than I expected and it only rained slightly. I had used a new site called, airbnb.com to book my accommodations. It worked out perfectly. I found a great place, great location, and the price was right. I think I just found my new way of booking my trip accommodations. My host, Derek has been great. He picked me up from the airport, pulled out a map and showed me everything I needed to see in Dublin and then even gave me a ride into the city. His place is about 20 minutes out. He lives across from a shopping center so I was able to go grocery shopping and get a few things to eat during the day.

The bed I stayed in at Derek's house

The apartment building I stayed in.

I spent quite a bit of time at Trinity College. Love it there. I took a guided tour from one of the students for a small fee. Well worth it. The history is fascinating and I totally blend in. I look like all the other college students until I open my mouth. ;-) The Book of Kells was fascinating, but the library just upstairs from the Book of Kells was even more so. Over 200,000 books and they're all organized by size. The college has been there since the 1700's. It's also a medical school so they had lots of bones and things which I totally love.


Our Trinity College student guide

If I look a little out of it, it's because the effects of jetlag are about to take effect...

Saw a lot of the city with a hop on hop off tour bus. This was totally the way to go. I was able to cover a lot of ground, see a lot of things, and not have to worry about getting totally lost if jetlag completely took over and I hit that "wall".

Met a couple from Colorado who let me tag along with them for most of the afternoon. Love that I had someone to visit with and see things with.

Bikes for rent to see the city

Beautiful Georgian House. Common site in Dublin. Notice how the windows get smaller as they get closer to the top of the building. It gives the illusion of height.

Street performer also known as a busker.

We saw buskers everywhere. Most of them do it because they love to perform.

They're very good too.

Swimmers in the Liffy River.

Once a year, swimmers swim in the main river, called the Liffy, in Dublin. I think they're crazy, but it's tradition. The water had to have been pretty cold and the river has the nickname, "Sniffy Liffy" because it isn't the cleanest river in the world.

We visited the Kilmainham gaol (old prison that is now a museum) and that was well worth it. Quite a sobering place.

This part of Kilmainham Jail is called the All-Seeing Eye. There's a spot where the guard can stand and see every single prisoner. It was built for a variety of mind games including: isolation, no privacy, and no control.

I've had the evening to relax and just get my body adjusted. Its been nice. I found the ward building that I'm going to tomorrow, so I'm excited for that. My hop on hop off tour is still good for tomorrow, so I plan on seeing a few of the cathedrals I missed today.

Jet lag hasn't been too bad. I was able to sleep on the plane for a few hours on the way over and stay awake the entire day. I'm sure I'll crash tonight, but be adjusted. :) Here's hoping.

Where has the summer gone?

2011-08-29T20:13:00.000-06:00

So I totally missed posting anything in July...

I can't even remember what happened last month except I think I worked way too much and took too little time off.

Lame. Except...I'm saving my days off for something very special. I will post about that very soon.

Let's see if I can catch you up...

I had a sushi making class in July sometime.

Twas awesome! :)

I now am a sushi making wonder.

The chef was totally impressed by my sushi-making skills. He even offered me a job after I won the sushi-making contest that we had among the students.

What can I say...maybe I was Asian in my past life. I definitely have Asian taste buds (says my Singaporean friend.)

This last weekend I ran my 2nd half marathon in Logan, Utah.

It was the Top of Utah Half and it was a great race and a good run. I was pleased with how well I did.

The training and the race was all done solo.

(Hum the Chariots of Fire theme song here...)

Kyle took these photos and did an awesome job. :)

I had some great support at the finish line. Thanks Mom, Kyle, and Eva.

Ok...so I've been saving my vacation days for a very special trip...
Ireland!

Crazy, huh?
I leave this Friday for 10 wonderful days of no work and all play.
I've been itching for another trip and this one should do just the trick. I will be sure to take LOTS of photos and will report back how it all goes.

Until then...as the Irish say...
As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.

Utah's 5K Dirty Dash

2011-06-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

Good times were had by all.

Plus, we all had some nasty scrapes and bruises to show for our efforts.

Will I do it again?

Yes...there's a 10K in September.

Crazy?

Heck Yes.

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2011-05-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

Back in March, I went on my very first cruise.

It was to celebrate Kyle coming home and to spend some time with him.

All of the siblings and their families came. It was a lot of fun.

Here are a few of the photos from the trip in no particular order.

Lover's Beach at Cabo San Lucas

Giant Jelly Fish at Cabo San Lucas.

We had to be real careful when snorkeling not to run into one of these guys.

Kyle and EvaLyn

Group Shot.

Ok..the food was wonderful. Here's just a taste of the wonderfulness...

Coconut Ice Cream

Seafood Pasta

Goofing off before dinner. :)

Jason showing off and playing at the beach at Puerto Vallarta

Sand sculptures at Puerto Vallarta.

The famous towel figures you get each day when you get back to your room.

We had 2 formal nights.

Here we are all dressed up.

Jason and Alan just hanging out on the desk.

Our Soldier Came Home

2011-04-26T11:26:00.002-06:00

So...I'm still catching up a bit.

Kyle came home March 3rd after being gone for a year.

We are so, so glad to have him home.

Here are a few photos.
(I borrowed one from Kyle & EvaLyn's blog)

Kyle and EvaLyn were interviewed by Channel 4 News.

Jennings kids.

So back in February...Star Valley Cabin Trip

2011-04-20T17:47:00.000-06:00

I know this girl who can be a workaholic at times.

This girl...has of course been busy with work, but she has been able to do a few fun things this winter.

For example, she got to go to a friend's cabin in Wyoming for the weekend back in February.

It was fabulous!

This girl and her friends got to help feed cattle on a horse-drawn sleigh.

They also took advantage of the 4 feet of snow, most of it being powder, and went snowshoeing.

Twas wonderful! :)

The Pioneer Woman visits Salt Lake City

2011-02-11T15:30:00.004-07:00

The Pioneer Woman aka Ree Drummond, came to Salt Lake City for her book tour.

Her latest book, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story, came out this month. It's her story of how she went from living in California with plans to be a big lawyer in Chicago to finding the man of her dreams, a cattle rancher, out in the middle of Oklahoma.

She had posted the first part of her book on her blog and I instantly fell in love with her story. Her book finishes what she started on her blog. It talks about her wedding and then the first year of her marriage.

It's a beautiful story and gives you faith in real life love stories.

Ok...so now for the story behind why I'm holding a can of Static Guard.

The dry climate in Utah, especially during the winter time, causes horrible static, especially with certain types of fabric. I've had this happen more than once while at work with certain skirts or dresses and have started carrying around a can of Static Guard with me everywhere.

Ree spoke to the group of women that had come to the book signing and mentioned that she wore the wrong type of clothing and was having static issues and jokingly asked if anybody had any

Static Guard.

Long story short...I had some and was able to get it to her so she could de-clingify. :)

I met her daughters, mother-in-law and sister-in-law in the process. Such cool, down-to-earth, kind people. Loved that they were here and that I had a chance to meet them.

Super Bowl Commercials worth watching

2011-02-07T12:53:00.005-07:00

So...I don't have TV and didn't see the Super bowl.
Usually I watch it at a friends, but I just wasn't feeling it last night.
I think one of the best parts about the Super Bowl are the commercials. A friend of mine shared her 3 favorite with me and I thought they worth sharing. Enjoy!

January is gone already...

2011-01-31T21:53:00.003-07:00

Seriously... what happened to January?
I had big plans to write up the highlights from last year and then post a few of the goals I set for this next year, but it looks like it didn't happen this month. Oh well. :) I'll get to when I get to it. Can't you tell how motivated I am?

January started out with a bang though. At the last minute I got to go with the Audiovisual team to Las Vegas to the CES (Consumer Electronic Show). Gadgets of all shapes and sizes were everywhere. They're calling this year the year of the tablet. Boy...did I feel out of place since I felt like the only one without an iPad. It was a cool show and lots to see. I learned a lot and it was great to get to know a few people from work better. Plus...it was just nice to get out of the office and do something a bit different for a change.

I was overly motivated and set some pretty lofty goals this year. One of them is to run a 1/2 marathon in April. I signed up for a training group and am already in my third week of training. My logic behind this is that if I paid money and committed myself with a group of other people, I might actually stick to it. So far so good. Tonight for example I actually ran 5 miles. I have to say that is the farthest I have run in my entire life.

Let's see what else...oh I decided to go on a cruise in March with my siblings. This will also be a first. I am a bit hesitant, but I'll be with a good group. My brother, the soldier, is scheduled to come home in March and wanted to do something with everybody and this is what he planned. Mexican Riviera here we come. Should be fun!

Other than that, I've just been super busy. I've been filling in for a guy at work so not only have I been doing my job, I've been doing his. It has made for some long days. Thankfully...they finally found a replacement and I should be relieved of his duties before too long. That way I can just focus on my job for awhile. I will admit though, it's been nice to have some variety. :)

Wrapping up 2010

2010-12-31T20:41:00.011-07:00

This last year has been a good one. Here are a few of the highlights:

I got promoted from mailroom to web designer at Deseret Book.
I went full time as an Associate Producer with the Church and made the choice to leave Deseret Book.
I have been involved in the first ever International Video Contest for the Church.
My brother left for Afghanistan and will come home this next year.
I moved into a basement apartment and am roommate free.
I got to go back to my mission in North Carolina and see dear friends.
I got to visit places in my mission that I never had the chance to see while I was there 8 years ago. (Outer banks, the Biltmore mansion, Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Columbia)
I got my bow hunter safety card and learned that I'm a great shot.
I ran my first race, a 6K at Thanksgiving Point.
I turned 30 and went to Disneyland to celebrate with friends.

Here's a few of my favorite pictures from this last year:

Family photos were taken before Kyle left for Afghanistan in March

Kyle leaving for Afghanistan and holding his nephew.

Two guys crossing the street with the whitest and most delicate umbrella I've ever seen.

Kitty Litter cake for Alan's birthday.

Bow Hunter Safety Class

Rowe has a thing for laundry baskets.

Scuba Trip in Catalina Island with family

Jason got to come visit us on the dive boat just off the coast of Catalina Island since he was working at a scout camp there. Check out his tan line.

Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina

Hanging out with friends.

Rowe's new trick

2010-12-31T20:28:00.004-07:00

So in case you hadn't noticed...I'm playing catch up with my blog.

Most people got this whole week off from work, but I had to work. So I'm finally just getting time to sit down and post some of the fun stuff that's been happening.

My brother and his family are at his wife's family's cabin. Lucky him.

He sent this video of my nephew who has now learned a new trick. He's pretty funny and boy does he know it!

Let it Snow!

2010-12-31T20:20:00.003-07:00

So Utah got hit with another pretty big snow storm Wednesday and Thursday.
For whatever reason though, we didn't get a snow day at work.
Go figure...the time we actually need a snow day, we don't get one.

This is on my way home. It was a bit treacherous at times, but doable.
You should have seen the roads the next morning. Snow packed!
My parents got a foot of snow in Northern Utah.
Where I live we got about 6 to 8 inches.
Now I just need a day off of work so I can go enjoy all of this fluffy, perfect powder!

Found this video a few days ago. It's pretty amazing! This is just a few days ago in New Jersey. We have nothing to complain about here in Utah. I'm just saying...

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Christmas 2010 - continued

2010-12-31T19:51:00.006-07:00

One of my goals for the year 2010 was to finish a photo book that I had started for my Europe trip last November. I wanted to make one not only for me, but also for my travel buddy. Christmas seemed like a prime time to shoot for getting it done. Plus, there's always good deals going around Christmas time.

So guess what? I totally finished it, ordered it, and had it shipped before Christmas! :) Boy was I pleased with myself. And you know what? It turned out alright too. :)

The book was only part of the Christmas gift to my travel buddy though. While we were in Hungary we saw these cool Christmas crafts at the Christmas markets in Budapest.

I took quite a few pictures of them and we had talked about making them at some point when we got home. Well...that had been over a year ago and we had done little more than talk about it. So...I decided to get the stuff and then have her over one night so that we could make them together.

I made this little handmade coupon to go along with the travel book.

Since we are both not crafty people, this was a bit of an adventure. But...with lots of research, trial and error, and hunting down an all-knowing person at the craft store, I was able to figure out what we needed to do to make these things.

We both were pleasantly surprised and pleased that they turned out as well as they did. I know Christmas is over, but you know what... I seriously don't care. :) They smell good, they look pretty, and there are lot of good memories tied to it.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T19:30:00.003-07:00

Christmas was awesome!

I was able to spend Christmas with my family and almost all us where home. We were only missing Kyle, but he did call home. It's amazing that they are able to call us from Afghanistan. Sure is a blessing.

It was a low-key Christmas, but it was still nice. Rowe, my little 1 year old nephew, made things that much more magical.

As siblings, we drew names and then had a max spending limit. I had Alan and I had some fun getting him some things. He got a book, which is normal for him to ask for and not much of a surprise. However, I did find a Techno Hoodie from Old Navy that knocked his socks off. These things are the coolest. The draw strings for the hood are actually headphones. The plug for your mp3 player is in the pocket and you don't see any wires. It's pretty darn cool and he was pretty excited about it.

EvaLyn had my name and she got me one of the coolest gifts I think I've ever received. Get ready for it...
She got me a Sushi making kit!
So in case you didn't know...I love sushi!
In college I used to go donate plasma just so I could get the money to get my weekly sushi- kick. Ahh...those were the days. :)

Anyway...it was a good Christmas and one that will be remembered.

Snow Day!

2010-12-21T21:04:00.004-07:00

We got out of work early today! How awesome is that? I love snow days! :)

This one was a bit weird because the storm didn't really touch downtown Salt Lake City, but I guess Utah Valley got hit pretty hard.

Since I no longer live in Utah Valley, today was a good day. For those people who live in Utah Valley, I'm sorry. Good luck with all of the snow and all that goes with it. Be safe and stay warm. Hope you were all wishing for a White Christmas, because it looks like we are going to get one after all! :)

So the picture below might look a little funny. This is actually a picture of the view outside the window of the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City today. It was a white out at one point. At least when looking out at 27 floors up. Quite the view, eh?

FedEx scare

2010-12-21T15:31:00.006-07:00

I ordered a gift online for a friend and have been waiting for it to arrive anxiously. I received my tracking information and was notified that it would be delivered today. Since I really need this package to arrive before Christmas, I have been checking on it quite a bit.

So...things were all good to go about 9:30 this morning. My package was on the truck out for delivery and I was expecting my delivery before 3:00 today. Things were good. And THEN...at about 1:30 I check the tracking and it says it's in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE! What the crap?!? I tell you my heart stopped!

I figured it was a mistake...well prayed that it was a mistake. I figured I'd give them an hour, maybe two before I all out panicked. After an hour of checking and trying to decided what to do...it finally showed up delivered. Phew!! Thank goodness for technical errors...but ones that don't actually cause problems.

Christmas Goodies - Part 2

2010-12-19T21:07:00.007-07:00

Work Gifts.
I needed something for the awesome people that I work with.
This year, I decided to do something around the theme of "warmth."
Perhaps it's because I live in a basement apartment and it seems to be a constant 62 degrees right now and I'm always freezing.

Anyway here's what I did. They got a little snack baggy of pure goodness that some people like to call, "Russian Refresher." You add a couple spoonfuls of this to a mug of hot water and it's Christmas to your soul any time of the year.

To go along with the warmth topic, I also included a package of hand warmers that will keep your little mitts warm for up to 8 hours. You can put them in your gloves or pockets and make it so your little fingers don't fall off in those cold situations.

I attached a cheesy little note that said something like,
"Hope you have a WARM and wonderful Christmas!"
They'll love it! :)

Russian Refresher recipe:
2 c. Tang
1 1/3 c. Sugar
1 pk (3 oz) Lemonade Mix* (6 Tablespoons if you got the big container like I did)
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

* Lemonade Mix should be pre-sweetened powder mix. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well. Put in a 1-quart container. Label as Russian Refresher Mix and store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. Makes about 3 1/2 Cups of mix.

RUSSIAN REFRESHER: Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of RUSSIAN REFRESHER MIX to 1 cup hot water. Stir to dissolve. Makes 1 serving.

(Recipe from "Make-A-Mix Cookery" by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward & Madeline Westover and found here.)

My first Christmas tree

2010-12-19T20:53:00.004-07:00

Ta Da!
I finally got around to posting about my first Christmas tree!
So...the first tree I bought did not work out. A friend of mine had an extra one
and let me borrow it. It's beautiful! It's one of the smaller ones and fits perfectly in my little apartment.

It took me awhile to take pictures of it because once I got it set up I couldn't find my ornaments. I have been saving my ornaments over the years and have a modest little collection. My sweet and creative grandmother makes us ornaments every year and I have been waiting to have my very own little tree to use them. But I can't seem to find them and I'm totally stumped. I don't have a very big place and I've got through all of my boxes and can't find them anywhere.

I managed to find 4 ornaments that were in random boxes I still have packed away. I'm sure you can imagine how sad that looked. I finally broke down and bought a box of red glass ornaments just so my tree wouldn't resemble a Charlie Brown tree. If you look closely though, it's still pretty ghetto. The store was out of the hanging hooks, so I am using paper clips.

Ahh well...it's all good. It finally looks like Christmas in my apartment and I am pleased. It's a good thing it doesn't take much to make me happy! :)

Christmas Goodies - Part 1

2010-12-19T20:16:00.007-07:00

At work we have a treat table where we can volunteer to bring in goodies during the month of December. I love this time of year for so many reasons, but this is one of them.

I made Burnt Sugar Almonds. If you're not sure you know what I'm talking about, think of the warm, toasted nuts you usually find at hockey games. I stumbled across the recipe on the Pioneer Woman's blog. Here's step by step instructions.

I also brought in one of my family's favorites, Cream Saver Candy Bark. It's similar to peppermint bark, but we use Strawberry Cream Savers instead of the peppermint candies.

If you ask me, it's so much better. :)

It's super easy. All you need is a package of strawberry cream savers that you've crushed and a package of white chocolate bark coating.

Melt the white chocolate.
It's probably best to use a broiler, but since I don't own one, I improvised. I used a glass bowl over a pot of simmering hot water. Works just as well.

Once the white chocolate is almost melted, remove from heat and stir so the last bits of chocolate melt. Once everything is melted, throw in the crushed cream savers and stir.

You don't want the cream savers to melt, so just stir until everything's good and incorporated.

Pour the white chocolate cream saver goodness into a sheet cake pan that has been lined with wax paper. The wax paper makes for easy clean up. Spread it out evenly and then let it set up. It takes about 20 minutes. If you want things to set up even faster, refrigerate them and it cuts the time to about half.

Once it's set up, break into pieces and enjoy!

It was a huge hit at work.
I think most people would agree...the strawberry cream savers totally beat the peppermint candies.

The Nativity and "Breath of Heaven"

2010-12-16T21:01:00.004-07:00

This is such a cool video.
Now...you may have seen "The Nativity" video before. It was a cool little DVD that came out a few years ago by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
BUT...what you probably haven't seen is "The Nativity" put to the music of "Breath of Heaven" sung by Amy Grant. It goes perfectly!! I would love to know who figured that one out.

Anyway...kudos to them. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Deck the Halls!!

2010-12-03T09:32:00.004-07:00

So last night I went to ShopKo to get me a wreath. I had one for Fall, but I needed one for the new season that is now upon us. ShopKo was having this huge sale and I was feeling impulsive, so.......needless to say I bought more than just a wreath. I was fulfilling a need to desk my halls. :)

The wreath you see above, is the one I did buy. It was 60% off which was fabulous! I also bought my very first Christmas tree. Boy, do I feel like a genuine adult now! It's nothing fancy. It's a 4.5 foot pre-lit, fake tree. I was going to go with a real one, but this one was also 60% off and staring me in the face and I caved...

I got home and went to town setting up my tree, hanging up my wreath, and putting lights up. I had the Christmas tunes going, some hot tea, and just having a grand time. I then had the tree all set up, fluffed, and ready to go. After plugging it in, I noticed something wasn't quite right. Not all of the lights lit up. Actually...only about 3/4 of the lights lit up. The top 1/4 of the tree was dark... Totally popped my festive, Christmas bubble!

Ahh well... at least I hadn't decorated it just yet. I'll take it back and all will be well. Maybe I'll get a real one instead this time. I hear that RiteAid sells beautiful, full trees for excellent prices.
But you know... at least I got my wreath. ;)

My birthday and other adventures...

2010-11-29T12:24:00.007-07:00

So I turned 30.

Overall...it was a good experience.

I'll confess, I had a bit of a meltdown the Sunday before. I panicked and couldn't imagine myself as 30. I mean...that's supposed to be OLD, right? I felt like I hadn't accomplished near enough with my life. I did stop and think about all the adventures I've had and I did have to admit things didn't look as bleak as I'd first though. Anyway...I've decided that birthdays are a lot easier to handle when you have them outside the country. So... I'm planning my next birthday trip as we speak.

I have decided though that my 20's were pretty awesome, so my 30's should be even better. So here we go....

I did have a good birthday. I flew out to sunny California to see the beaches, play at Disneyland, and do whatever the heck I wanted. I went with two friends to help celebrate and we had a great time.

Here's a few pictures to give you an idea of the fun that was had. I'll be be posting more in the next few days.

Newport Beach Pier

Cool silhouette of people on the Newport Beach Pier

Newport Beach LDS temple. Beautiful! Inside and out.

My parents and brothers made this 4 layer cake for my birthday. Brothers went all crazy with the candles. It's a bit of a tradition in my family to do something unique and creative with the candles. If my one brother had been around, you would see something being burnt at the stake.

More pictures to follow...I have a ton from Disneyland where I acted like I was 12 years old.
Twas awesome!

Rowe snapshot

2010-11-11T13:23:00.003-07:00

Ok..so I'm posting this mostly for family. We all just need to get our Rowe - kicks every once in awhile. And I don't know about them, but I've been going through Rowe withdrawals. I can't believe how grown up he's getting! He's not a baby anymore. He's a little man!

October - Gone already

2010-11-01T11:35:00.005-06:00

I cannot believe October is gone. Craziness. Life has become a whirlwind lately. Here are a few highlights.

I ran my first race ever. It was a 6K through the gardens at a place called Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. It was AWESOME! I'm already looking for my next race.

I made homemade granola for the first time and it was wonderful! It was pumpkin granola and it was the perfect thing for this time of year. I found the recipe from a blog called, "Two Peas and Their Pod." Check it out here. It's one of my new favorites!

Got to go trick or treating with my little nephew, Rowe. We only went to a few houses in the neighborhood, but one of the houses was that of my mission president and his wife. My brother just happens to live in their ward. Lucky them! So we got to stop by and visit for a few minutes. It was fun way to spend Halloween for sure. I will post pictures of Rowe in his little dragon costume as soon as I can snag them from my brother. :)

International Video Contest

2010-09-13T21:11:00.006-06:00

Every now and then, something I am involved in becomes public. Today is one of those days.

For the first time, the LDS Church has announced an online International Video Contest. The theme of the contest is "Create Your Own Mormon Message." Sounds exciting, yes?
There are even cash awards offered to 15 talented winners.

So check it out!
If you're not the video-submitting kind of person, check back in the spring to see the finalist and to vote for your favorites!

Rowe - Almost 1 year old

2010-09-10T08:12:00.003-06:00

Rowe will be a year old on the 24th of September.
Crazy, huh?

He has grown up so fast. He's very mobile and into everything.
His parents are dreading the day he starts walking. I give him another month and he will be a monster of mass destruction. :) (Well even more so...)

His mom's old college roommate, took these adorable pictures. Since I am borrowing these photos from her site, thought I would mention where you can see more of them.
http://www.kellinicolephotography.com
Check her out. She's does great work.

August Photos

2010-09-08T08:08:00.005-06:00

Kitty Litter Cake!

I saw this cake on my mission. One of the Elders made it for his companion at a Zone Conference and I have never laughed so hard. I thought it was the nastiest and most clever idea. So when my brother was trying to decide what kind of cake to have for his 21st birthday, this randomly came to mind. Of course I threw out the idea more as a joke than anything, but he loved it. So...we made Kitty Litter Cake and it was a huge hit!

Of course there were some "Ehh's and Gross!" to be heard when we pulled it out. But everybody had a "scoop" and loved it!

We had a blast assembling the thing too! You can find the recipe here. For ours we left out the green food coloring.

So Jason is home. Finally! Boy we missed him.

Does he not look like some sort of California surfer? :)

Where did August go?

2010-09-07T19:47:00.002-06:00

I blinked and missed August! Seriously!

Oh man...it was a crazy month. I did take a few pictures, which I will post soon. I mainly worked and slept, and worked some more. Dang, I need another trip soon.

From what I can remember of August, my youngest brother came home from scout camp on Catalina Island. We met him at the airport. It's so nice to have him back. He adds so much to our family and he was greatly missed. The punk is like 6 inches taller, has a gorgeous tan, and looks very much like a California surfer. Going to have to beat the girls off of him...but then what else is new. ;)

We had a huge birthday party gathering to celebrate like 4 birthdays. My favorite part was the cake my brother decided to have. I totally talked him into having a Kitty Litter Cake. Pictures will soon follow and I will explain.... 'Twas Awesome!

More Scuba Trip Photos

2010-07-28T13:37:00.005-06:00

Here's a few more photos of the trip.
Here's Judson and Michelle before the trip. They had no idea really what was in store.

Here they are gearing up. It was quite a process to get everything on.

20 minutes later he's finally ready to go. :)

Below is Alan. He had been geared up and was waiting for them in the water.

They're off and ready to go!

A few of the coves we dove in.

We did get some good time to just lay back and chill. :)

Captain George even did a bit of fishing while we were there. He did a bit with a pole and most of it with a spear gun. We did get fish tacos on this trip! Yay!

Oh.. so we did swim in Great White Shark infested waters near Santa Barbara Island. I mean they are already shark infested waters, but when you say "Great White" that makes a difference. The advice they give is, just make sure you swim faster than you're buddy. ;)

Catalina Dive Trip - The Adventure

2010-07-27T12:59:00.005-06:00

So we made it back!
I wasn't so sure at times. We had a bit of a rough time leaving to drive down there. Poor Alan had one of the worst nights at work ever and pulled an all-nighter to drive down to Bountiful. We took 2 separate cars and drove the 10-11 hours to San Pedro just outside of L.A. The other car ended up going a bit too fast and got a $150 ticket. We then had to go pick up one of the members of our gang at a hotel in L.A. We then got separated and lost on our way to the port. All in all I was so glad to finally make it to the port and get our stuff on the boat.

We got to the island Thursday morning and got everybody in the water. That first dive is always a bit nerve wracking. We had a lot of new ocean divers in the water and their skills ranged from competent to scary. We had one diver lose his snorkel before getting in the water. It started to sink and he decided the best way to retrieve it was to jump in after it. (Even though there were 3 other divers in the water that saw it and were getting ready to go after it.) He didn't really think about putting on his mask and making sure his other gear was in order. Well when he oh so ungracefully jumped into the water, he also lost his mask. If he wasn't going to die on his first dive, I was about sure I was going to drown him.

After everybody made it back alive after the first dive, things got a bit better. We still had a few scary divers, but they seemed to survive just fine and I stopped caring.

One of the highlights of the trip was being able to see my youngest brother, Jason. He's 17 and has been working at a scout camp on Catalina Island for the past 6 or 7 weeks. He was hoping our boat would get close enough to the camp that he could come out and see us. On Thursday, we were one cove to the north. We gave him a call and his camp director drove him out on a motor boat. We got to visit with him for about an hour. It was so cool to see him. He's grown up a lot!

This is him showing us his tan line. That white strip is where his watch has been. He also told us that he's gained 25 pound of muscle. He's been working out everyday to get ready for water polo this next year. He's already having to beat the girls off.

There was over half of his family on the boat. There was me, Judson and Michelle, and Alan on the boat. I think it meant a lot to him to see us. He's been a bit homesick. He's almost done though, only 3 more weeks to go.

We got to go out to another island besides Catalina Island. We went to Santa Barbara Island where they have lots and lots of sea lions. It was one of the coolest things to dive with these animals. They were very friendly and playful. They would come up real close to see what we were doing and then flip and swim away as if they wanted us to play.

Lots of lobster were to be found in every crack and hole. Too bad lobster season doesn't start till October.

There was a cave we were able to dive through. It was cool, but a bit eerie too.

As always, we saw a quite a few bat rays. They were pretty big. Probably 3 foot wingspan.

Below is a 19 tip star fish. I haven't every seen one like it

If you look closely you can see the angel shark hiding in the sand. This is one of the many reasons I don't ever stand on the bottom of the sea floor. Not only are there sharks hiding in the sand, but stingrays and halibut.

It was a good trip. I loved having my family there, but I am glad it's over though. It's nice to be back and to sleep in my own bed. It's also nice to not have to worry about divers being stupid. I think if I go again I will go as a regular customer and not as a dive leader assistant. That way I don't have to care who's being stupid.

Catalina Dive Trip

2010-07-20T08:09:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow I leave for California to once again do my yearly scuba trip to Catalina Island. This will be my 4th time on this trip. This time around though, I've got family coming on the trip.

We will be on the boat for 3 days and basically just eating, sleeping,
and most importantly, diving. Weather should be nice and hot, which is good because the water will be cold. We don't wear thick wetsuit just for looks. ;)

Weekend Fun

2010-07-20T07:59:00.003-06:00

A group of us got together and went to lunch and a movie. We were celebrating Emily and Stephanie's birthdays. We went to the Gateway mall and went to Rumbi's Grill and
then saw Toy Story 3. Fun was had by all!

It was fun to hang out with the girls! I've decided I work with too many guys and it's so nice to have some girl time every so often. :)

Flu

2010-07-15T07:48:00.003-06:00

So Rowe has been sick for the last week. He's had some horrible flu. Poor little guy. Well I've been over at their house quite a bit this week and well I got what he got. Though mine was a toned down version, it still wasn't fun.

Gosh...why does he have to be so darn cute, you can't help but pick him up and hold him every time you see him.

Bow Hunter Safety

2010-07-12T09:28:00.003-06:00

So...I may or may not have mentioned that I took a Bow Hunting Safety Class a few weeks ago. Random, yes. Let me explain.... A guy at work wanted to take the class with his son, but they had to have at least 10 people to hold the class, so he was recruiting. I figured I could take one for the team and attend. It was only for a few days and it was only $6. I'm always up for random so I signed up. Yes, I know I don't hunt and I don't have a bow. So what? They said they would find a bow for me to use. Plus...what I really wanted to do was learn to track animals so I could sneak up real close and take pictures of them. That would be my kind of shooting.

Anyway...long story short. It was an interesting class and more fun than I had expected. The last day of class, we got to go out on the range and practice shooting targets, play a game where we saw how good we were at judging distances, and track a blood trail. More importantly we got to shoot at a plastic deer. You have to shoot it in just the right spot so that it will bleed out and die. If you hit it anywhere else you just wound it and it's game over. This sweet spot is just behind the front legs. That's where all the vital organs are.

Attached is a picture of my shot where I nailed the arrow in the sweet spot. I impressed both of the teachers and all of the guys in my class. One of the instructors was like "You can't do better than that, you nailed it!" The guys were a bit shocked that they had just been out shot by a girl, who has not shot a bow since I was 18 and that was like scout camp. :) So I'm just saying...I totally rocked.

Southern Food

2010-07-09T17:16:00.007-06:00

I just wanted to mention some of the yummy food we had while on our trip. This will just give you a taste of all the wonderful, southern food we had. This is more of the store bought stuff, because I was too busy eating the homemade stuff to take pictures.

This is what I like to refer to as "Happy Juice." Sundrop and Cheerwine are soft drinks that you can't find out West and oh how I miss them.

We both love breakfast food, so when we found an IHOP, we were pretty excited. Especially since on several occasions the places we were staying at didn't seem to have restaurant near by and we had kind of hard time finding food.

Another southern favorite would be "hot dogs all the way." Basically it's your basic hot dog, chopped onions, chili, and coleslaw on top. Sounds a bit strange, but oh is it tasty! Here's some chili sauce that is meant for that very thing.

We stopped and ate at a cafeteria type place and was able to get a smalls sampling of all things southern. We've got hush puppies, coleslaw, collard greens, candied yams, peach pie, and green beans soaked in butter. For whatever reason they didn't have any banana pudding so we had to go find that elsewhere.

I wish we could have stayed in town a bit longer when we saw this. They just don't have proper Pig Pickin's out west.

This doesn't really have anything to do with food, but it is a common site.

This was an awesome trip and one that I'm so glad that I made. I definitely don't want to wait another 6 years before going back. Thanks everybody!

Asheville

2010-07-08T08:09:00.004-06:00

From South Carolina we headed back up to North Carolina to see Asheville.
The mountains were beautiful!

We actually didn't make it to downtown Asheville, but we visited the Biltmore mansion and all that there was to see on the huge property. The first day we checked out their Antler village. There's a winery tour you can take, different gardens, stables, and little shops and restaurants.

They had all sorts of stuff in their gift shop. Here I am my second time at the wassail tasting table. Oh my it was good stuff!

The winery tour was quite interesting. It takes place in the old dairy. They show you how wine is made and how wine is made to have different smells and tastes. Quite fascinating. At the end of the tour everybody has the chance to taste any type of wine that is made on the property. We of course opted for the non-alcoholic grape juice. It was probably the best grape juice I've ever had.

The next day we took a drive up the Blueridge Parkway. It was beautiful and I couldn't help but think of the movie, "The Man From Snowy River." These I believe are the Smoky Mountains.

After the Blueridge Parkway, we went to see the Biltmore Mansion. It took us a good 3 or 4 hours to do the house tour. It was massive. It cost a pretty penny to do the tour, but it was well worth it. The history was fascinating. Plus we got a package deal with our hotel, so it worked out ok.

South Carolina

2010-07-07T13:09:00.006-06:00

Piggly Wiggly. They do exist. At least in South Carolina.

We walked the beach at Myrtle Beach. Not quite as cool as the beach on the Outerbanks, but still a beach.

Just outside Charleston we stopped at the Boone Hall plantation. It's actually one of the few plantations that is still a working plantation.

One of my favorite parts of of this plantation is the historic "Avenue of Oaks": a nearly one mile drive up to the house with live oaks on either side. The moss that hangs down is just breathtaking.

After checking out the plantation, we drove to Charleston and walked around the historic district. It was amazing to see these buildings that were hundreds of years old and still in amazing condition. They've done a lot to restore and preserve them. The Civil War history that took place in this city was also intriguing.

While in South Carolina, we stopped off in Columbia and went to the temple. The Willifords drove down from Hickory to join us. It was a special experience to be there with them. Beautiful temple and wonderful company!

Outerbanks

2010-07-07T08:32:00.004-06:00

I finally made it to the Outerbanks in North Carolina. It's pretty much the only thing I heard people talk about while on my mission. Too bad it was a part of the "other" mission.

People were right though. It is gorgeous!

We started up at Elizabeth City and made our way down the Outer Banks. Here's a map to give you an idea of where it is and why it's called the Outer Banks.

We started at Kitty Hawk and made our way all to Ocracoke.

Kitty Hawk is where the Wright Brothers first flew. Here we are playing around on the bronze replica.

Our next stop was not too far from Nags Head. It's called Jockey Ridge and it's one of the largest living (natural) sand dunes in the U.S.

We stayed the night in Buxton and had a place right on the beach. Since it was still technically "off season" we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. We woke up and watched the sunrise over the Atlantic and then walked the beach. This is where we found the pretty shells.

We then saw Cape Hatteras. The tallest lighthouse in the US.

Took a ferry over to Ocracoke Island.

Then saw the Ocracoke lighthouse. This is where the famous pirate Blackbeard hung out and I think eventually killed.

Oh and one of the highlights we saw while driving was watching people on the sound side of the banks kite surf. They were catching some major air. Very cool.

Old Salem and Duke University

2010-06-10T08:10:00.006-06:00

We saw a friend of Stephanie's in Winston Salem and stopped and had lunch in Old Salem. It's run by a group of Moravians. It was all very interesting.

I love and miss the porches and rocking chairs.

Cute Moravian couple we saw. They were shooting a commercial in Old Salem while we were there so we got to see quite a few people in costume.

After Winston-Salem we drove to Durham and walked around Duke University. Beautiful campus! Made me want to go back to school.

We also saw the beautiful gardens that are adjacent to the University. They had some of the coolest climbing trees.

Chapel at Duke.

I loved visiting Duke! We got to see most of the campus, which was huge and usually takes a few days to see. We got lost and took a wrong turn and ended up seeing more than we had planned, but it was all worth it.

NC Trip Teaser...

2010-06-07T07:49:00.005-06:00

Outer Banks
Blue Ridge Mountains as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Some of my favorite people ever!

I'll post details and more pictures of the trip soon. I'm still trying to get into the swing of things since I've been back. I had a wonderful time and wasn't ready to come back. Thanks everybody for one of the best weeks of my life!

SO much has happened...I will update soon

2010-05-19T17:29:00.003-06:00

Ok...so lots has happened since I posted a real post. Here's the quick, readers' digest version.

I got hired on full time with the Church and had to leave my part time job at Deseret Book. It was bittersweet, but I feel like I'm where I need to be.

I moved into a new place. It's a basement apartment and I'm all to myself. No roommates. This is a first for me and so far I'm loving it.

I swore off dating and have had guys come out of the woodwork. It's been interesting especially since I was kind of serious about not wanting to date ever again.

I'm leaving for a trip to North Carolina this Saturday. Going back to my mission. Totally stoked for it!

Ok...I will post more later... and promise to post more regularly from now on.

Chicken Soup for Rowe

2010-05-19T17:27:00.003-06:00

Oops! The kid is quick. You look away for a second and he's grabbed something you thought was out of reach. He's like a gorilla with long arms with cat like reflexes. Too funny! :)

Rowe in his Walker

2010-04-26T16:03:00.002-06:00

Just had to share. He is such a happy baby!

Sgt. Kyle Jennings leaves for Afghanistan

2010-03-31T14:45:00.006-06:00

Kyle holding Rowe.At the beginning of March we saw Kyle off to the airport to leave for Afghanistan. (Ok, technically he's going to Seattle and then to Miami for a few weeks and THEN to Afghanistan.) But for us we were saying goodbye for a whole year.

He get special passes so that we could go back to the gate with him and see him off. It was neat to be him and his fellow soilders before they left. We're so proud of him!

Random Images

2010-03-31T14:06:00.002-06:00

Funny day as far as pictures go.
This one I wish I had taken 10 seconds earlier, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.
Check out their white, dainty umbrella! :) Totally just makes me smile.

I get to walk through Temple Square on my way to work every morning. I caught this duck in the reflection pool and just thought it was cool. The picture is a little blurry since it was snowing pretty hard when I took the picture.

It must be Conference Time in Utah!
It always snows or rains around Conference weekend, so we just learn to expect it! The flowers sure look pretty though, if only it was just a bit warmer.

No More Mailroom

2010-03-09T16:29:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I know I have a lot to catch up. For instance I have to tell you about how I'm no longer in the mailroom at Deseret Book! Halle-freakin-lujah! I'm now doing design stuff...full part-time. Meaning, it's still just a part-gig, but now now I get to do it the whole time instead of splitting the time between design and mailroom.

So I wanted to throw out some of the designs I've done lately. Some are better than others, but they've been fun to do. I mostly do marketing banners for the DeseretBook.com website and marketing emails for MoTab Choir, Time Out For Women, and then a product spotlight.

Newest CD from Jenny Oaks Baker

This one was a lot of fun to do with the plate and crumbs and such.

Truman G. Madsen is the man!

Too bad you can't see it here, but there's actually video that plays with this one.

One of my favorite designs I've done so far. I think it just looks cool.

Judson and Rowe playing

2010-02-18T08:47:00.005-07:00

I was over at Judson and Michelle's place last night and it was quite the entertaining evening. Judson loves to play with Rowe and they love to play bite at each other's neck and face. Rowe isn't quite laughing yet, but he's pretty close. You'll see in the second video that Rowe will actually try to bite back! :)

Rowe "PeaFace" Jennings

2010-02-18T08:43:00.005-07:00

Rowe is now eating solid foods.

This is him and his peas.

He was a big fan!

(By the way...he's not quite 5 months old and he's already a good 18 pounds).

My nephew can totally eat your nephew!

Kissed by a bumper

2010-02-18T08:38:00.005-07:00

Crazy Utah Drivers!

Seriously!

This is in the Conference Center underground parking.

Thank goodness I had my spare tire to stop them from getting any closer. No damage was done to the tire, but seriously. You would think they would have noticed they hit my car. And you would also think that they would back up to cover up their idiocy.

I actually saw the same car and the owners a few days later...older couple who definitely should stop driving for the safety of others.

Adventures in Babysitting

2010-02-08T08:56:00.004-07:00

My friend Meghan had the awesome experience to go to Maui a few weeks ago. (I must say I was a bit envious, but excited for her at the same time). Her little boy, Evan, stayed here and I got to help babysit him with my other good friend Karyn for a day. Since we're both single and somewhat inexperienced, we decided it would be a good idea if we tag-teamed. So I spend Saturday and Sunday with her and Evan and we all had a pretty good time. Bath time was one of the highlights. :)

Hiking Mueller Park Trail

2010-02-08T08:48:00.005-07:00

A few Saturdays ago, my friend Stephanie and I went on a hike up Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful. This was my first time up to Mueller Park and it was a good hike. The weather was perfect and the hike was awesome! Here's a few photos of the experience.

Gotta love like 4 layers...Plus...I have this thing with putting tons of stuff in my pockets. I had to have her wait to take the picture because I wanted to empty my pockets out. You know to help reduce the bulky look. :)

I love Reuben Sandwiches!

2010-01-29T12:25:00.004-07:00

I love Reuben Sandwiches. My roommate knows this. So when I got a PROMOTION at Deseret Book HQ from mailroom to Creative Services, she went out and bought me one.
(Totally love her for that).

Yes, I have been promoted. Not to full-time, but full part-time at Deseret Book. I can FINALLY leave the mailroom job behind and move on to something that will actually utilize those skills I worked so hard in college for. Yay!

I am still working at Church HQ and love it. But both jobs are not offering full time just yet, so I just keep hanging in there. I feel blessed to have jobs and at two very good companies. I figure if I just hang tight and be patient, it will all work out. So far things are coming along very nicely.

Ward Directory/Take Out Menu

2010-01-13T12:29:00.003-07:00

I have been in my current ward since August and the bishop still has no clue who I am. Now, I know I've not been there every week, but I have gone up and introduced myself several times. I have been a bit frustrated with people not knowing who I am, and I have no idea who anybody else is.

So...I came up with a solution...I made a ward directory (some call it the "take out menu"). I had this calling in my last ward and I have a little program that makes it fairly easy. So I whipped one out and am already getting rave reviews!

Alaska calling...

2010-01-13T12:20:00.004-07:00

Late last week I got a call from Nenana Raft Adventures in Alaska. I had sent them my application last May when I was down to one job and thinking a trip to Alaska would be just the thing. Well...the seasons STARTS in May, so everybody was pretty much staffed.

I soon forgot about my Alaska dreams and real life set in and I found another job. Well...I get this call and it was this rafting company. They found my application from last year and are staffing positions for this coming summer.

Here's the details:

The job: Photographer. I would get to take pictures of people as they are going down some of these awesome rivers.
The location: Denali National Park
The experience: Unbeatable

Anyway...I still need to find out a few more details and then take it to the Lord and see if this is actually a good idea. My Church job is uber flexible and would probably work out fine. The Deseret Book job, not so flexible. Sure fun to think about though. :)

Brand New iMac

2010-01-13T12:13:00.003-07:00

Life is SO good.
I got a new computer at my Church job. A new guy needed a PC and I happen to have an old PC laptop that was still in very good condition and my boss asked me if I would trade it for one of the Macs. Since I know how to use both PC and Mac, I figured it wouldn't be a problem. Little did I know they would give me the BRAND NEW 27 inch iMAC they had just ordered two weeks prior.

As you can see it's MASSIVE and very PRETTY.

I used to have a dual monitor, but you don't need one when you've got this baby. The keyboard is wireless and looks incredible small next to the monitor, but it's easy to get used to using.

It totally makes my day to come into work and see this sitting at my desk. The day gets even better when I get to work on it. It's actually fast enough for me. I can have all my multiple windows open, plus have Windows running in the background to run a few PC programs, and it doesn't even break a sweat. God truly does answer prayers! :)

Holiday Photos

2010-01-03T20:33:00.006-07:00

The holidays have come and gone already and again I can't believe they are over already. Here's a few photos of family and friends.

Judson with his little boy Rowe. He's already 3 months old.

This type of thing happens all of the time and really gives you a good taste of Judson's personality.

Me and Kyle.

Grandma and Grandpa with Rowe in his little tux for the funeral.

Not sure where Judson found these hats, but he got three of them and here we are showing them off.

For the last couple of years, the "Grinch" has shown up at our house on Christmas Eve. He came and read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and added his own little twist to it to include the birth of Christ. It was very well done and a lot of fun! The picture doesn't do him justice because he just looks awesome.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T08:27:00.008-07:00

Christmas this year was a little different then what we've had in past years. We were able to get together with family and it was nice. It was a bit slimmed down, but I think most people were more excited about what they had given to others than what they received. I think most of us were just glad to be together.

Kyle will be leaving for Afghanistan March 2nd and this will be the last Christmas we'll have him here for at least a year. It was nice to have both Kyle and EvaLyn with us Christmas morning.

Judson and Michelle were not with us Christmas morning, but we got to see them later that day. There was a tragic four-wheeling accident at Bear Lake and Kelly Stoker, Michelle's dad, passed away late Christmas Eve. Our heart's just ache for the Stoker's. Kelly was a wonderful guy and we all feel very blessed to have been able to have known him.

“The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.” (Alma 40:12.)

Published...

2009-12-17T22:20:00.003-07:00

I have recently been somewhat promoted at my job at Deseret Book HQ. I now work 10 hours a week in the Creative Services area desiging a variety of things, plus I get a higher pay rate than what I get delivering mail. Yay! This was one of my bigger items and it is currently being displayed on the front page of Deseretbook.com.

I just want to point out that I started with a blank white screen and designed everything except for 3 images that were stock images. The gold tree and boxes are stock, the snowflakes, and the faint snowflake background. I worked my magic and made things come together and look like a real card and a real banner. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

It's not very often I get to show off the work that I actually do since most of what I do at the Church is behind the scenes and isn't really presentable. Anyway...this is me...showing off. :)

More Eastern Europe

2009-12-17T21:53:00.008-07:00

So here's a few more pictures of my trip. I took like over 900, so I've weeded out quite a few. Next time though...I need to take more people pictures, instead of landscape/building pictures. I've always done that, but I kind of regret not taking more of Stephanie and I. Live and Learn.

Ok, the one up top is of Vintgar George just outside Bled, Slovenia. Beautiful day! I couldn't believe our luck. It had snowed here the week before, but the sun was out and in the 50's when we were there.

Vintgar George again. The colors were amazing and the water was crystal clear.

This is our last day and our taxi driver had dropped us off at the airport and had agreed to take our picture. We were only getting one though, he was pretty apprehensive about taking it. It turned out pretty good though. This is my first taxi I have ever called and they came and picked us up. It worked like a charm and he was the sweetest guy too.

Christmas stockings that we saw at the Christmas market in Budapest. We saw a lot of items all made out of felt. I had no idea it was as popular as it was.
The big Christmas tree at the start of the Christmas market in Budapest. It was beautiful and had it's own style. Things weren't as cluttered as they are here. You'll notice you can actually see the tree. I prefer this type of decorating to the ones where you just see ornaments and nothing else. To me, the tree is a big part of the beauty and shouldn't be completely covered.

People were drooling over the sausages. Apparently they are quite the treat. They even had blood sausage. I've had it once before, but was good to stick with the vegetable stir-fry instead.

This was the only sandy beach that we saw while in Dubrovnik. It's mostly the rocky beaches, and the locals actually prefer the rocky beaches to the sandy ones.

Cool red, phone booth in Budapest. I love these things. They just look cool. We saw a lot when I was in England a year ago, but I was never able to get a descent pictures. This made up for it.

Another view of the Old Town in Dubrovnik. Most of the boats here are fishing boats, but we did see a glass bottom boat. If we had more time, I would have loved to have gone on it. We were told that Croatia's coast had some of the clearest waters in the Meditteranean. I totally need to go back and dives these waters. :)

Sunset over one of the islands we saw while coming back on the ferry to Dubrovnik.

This would be the House of Terror in Budapest. It housed the Nazi headquarters during WWII when the Nazi's occupied Budapest. It was also headquarters for the evil communist leaders just after WWII. The building is now a museum of sorts and brings to light the evils of what went on. (It shows pictures of not only the victims of those killed during communism, but also the communist leaders who were never brought to justice. They have also recreated the torture cells and gallows in the basement just as they were when occupied.) They hide nothing. It was very well presented, eye-opening, and very hard to process. It was more about the communist occupation of Hungary than anything. Everyone should visit a place like this. Everyone needs to know exactly what Communism is and how it destroys every human right and freedom available to man. Read up more info on their site at: http://www.terrorhaza.hu/en/index_2.html

China Buffet in Budapest. We didn't eat here, but thought it was cool they had them here.

We hiked to the tallest point in Budapest on the Buda side to get a good view of the city. This is what we got. :) It was misty and humid, but still beautiful. This was one of the few days where it wasn't sunny. We were really blessed to have awesome weather.

After walking all around the city, we found this in a park on the Buda side. It represents Buda and Pest and the Danube river runs down the middle. We could pick out what buildings were what because we had walked the whole city. It was very well done and fun to see.

We saw babushkas everywhere. This was in the Old Town in Dubronik in her traditional dress, making dolls and other handmade goodies.

Eastern Europe trip Photos

2009-11-30T12:05:00.013-07:00

The island in the middle of Lake Bled in Slovenia.

I've been back from my Europe trip for about a week now. I flew back Sunday the 22nd, but it's taken a good week to catch up on sleep and laundry. It was so worth it though. I had such a fun time and wanted to share some of the photos of the trip.

To give you a quick run down this is where I went - I flew into Budapest, Hungary and spent a few days there. We then took a train to Zagreb, Croatia and spent a day there. We then flew down to the coast of Croatia to a delightful town called Dubrovnik. We spent 3 days there and this is where I got to spend my birthday. We then flew back to Zagreb, caught a train and made our way to a town called Bled, Slovenia just on the other side of the Julian Alps bordering Austria. We had 2 nights there and then made the long train ride back to Budapest. We had one more day in Budapest and then flew out the next morning. The trip was for 11 wonderful days and they went by so fast. It was a life changing trip and I feel so blessed to have been able to go and that it went so well.

Ok...so here's a few of my favorite pictures to help give you a taste of the trip. These are in no particular order.

Zagreb is the capitol of Croatia. It's a strange mix of very old buildings and very new ones. Lots of churches, parks, and cobblestone streets. We did find the best ice cream we'd ever tasted in Zagreb.

Window boxes were every where and I loved them all. This one is in a town just outside Bled, Slovenia. We were making our way to Vintgar Gorge and the trail took us through this quiet neighborhood.

This is the waterfall at the end of Vintgar Gorge. It was off season every where we went, so we basically had the place to ourselves. The water was crystal clear and the fall leaves still gave the place lots of color. My camera just doesn't do it justice.

Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia.

The path less traveled.
This was on our way back to Bled from our hike to Vintgar Gorge.

One of the train compartments that we were in. We were lucky most of the time to have it all to ourselves. I've decided I like riding trains and I can't help feeling like I'm in the Harry Potter books when I do.

Thermal Baths are a very traditional past time in Hungary. This is one that we checked out in Budapest. It was warm, relaxing, and made for some wonderful people watching.

This game had been going on for quite awhile.

Jewish Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. Beautiful building and it's a marvel it's still standing. It survived World War II and Russian occupation.

St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, Hungary. Beautiful building inside and out. It was amazing to me to be in these buildings that were as old as they were.

Strudel is one of my new favorite things ever! This was a cheap, warm, heavenly treat that we would get at the fresh market.

I had my first squatter toilet experience. What surprised me the most, was that it wasn't half bad. I could actually get used to it.

Hungarians love their salami and sausages!

We found this beautiful park in the middle of Zagreb, Croatia while looking for the local branch. The leaves were amazing and we both wanted a picture. This is Stephanie, my travelling companion.

Have I mentioned that fall is one of my favorite times of year?? :)

Here is a view of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia from the city wall. This is the widest street in the Old Town. Everything else is very narrow and has stairs. Beautiful city right up against the Adriatic Sea.

Stephanie and I with the Old Town behind us.

Very common site to see laundry hanging, especially in Dubrovnik. The weather was still quite warm and you could dry your laundry outside.

Dubrovnik church bells.

View of the Old Town of Dubrovnik from the fort on the hill. Most people don't live in the Old Town, not after the Yugoslavia War and because it's very expensive. It's mostly just a tourist attraction, but people still live and work there.

Handmade Nativity scene we saw while in Bled, Slovenia.

Pumpkin Soup we had while in Budapest. So good!

Hungarian Goulash made with lamb. Very good and very traditional.

Our last night in Hungary we went to a National Hungarian folkdance. Amazing music, costumes, and dancers. So much fun and such a wonderful way to end the trip!

We stayed in hostels and guesthouses. This is one of them in Dubrovnik.

The last day we were in Budapest we got to check out the Christmas markets. Everything was homemade. These were wreaths and hangings made with limes, mandarin oranges, cinnamin sticks, bay leaves, and dried red peppers. It smelled so good and was so pretty.

Handrail in Dubrovnik.

One of the 7 bridges that crossed the Danube river that separates Buda from Pest. Buda is the hilly side with the castles, and Pest is the side with the large old buildings.

Where we would buy our fresh fruit in Budapest.

Lots and lots of flower shops all over. This was one of the bigger ones.

Still lots of fall colors, especially in Zagreb.

This is the view from our room in Dubrovnik.

Some of the cool architecture in the Old Town in Dubrovnik.

I love these types of ships.

Heavenly desserts wherever we went. Hungary had awesome studel. Croatia had amazing ice cream. Slovenia had amazing cakes.

Croatia harvests fresh olives. I had no idea.

Since Croatia is just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, they happen to have a lot of Italians. This means they have lots of places with authentic Italian food. It was wonderful!

One of the many cool churches we stumbled across in Zagreb, Croatia. We never did find our branch, but we found like 7 or 8 other Christian churches.

This is a view from the island in the middle of Lake Bled looking towards the Julian Alps. You can see Bled Castle on the left, the church, and of course the Alps. Beautiful! It even had a fairytale feel to it.

In the middle of Lake Bled there was an island with a church on it. The story goes that if you make a wish and ring the bell, your wish will come true. Here's hoping!

Shot taken while at the Bled Castle. It was a bit on the misty side, but beautiful view!

These are my birthday wishes. The man who owned the guesthouse we were staying at, Ante, saw on my passport that it was my birthday. He surprised me with a rose and a bouquet of Croatian chocolate. Stephanie also surprised me with a thoughtful, handmade card. It was a wonderful birthday and it'll be a tough one to top.

Me and Ante.
He took us on a personal tour of the fort above Dubrovnik. Such an awesome guy.

Pumpkins

2009-11-02T14:22:00.003-07:00

I love carving pumpkins. My idea of the best Halloween is to get a few friends together, watch a movie, eat candy, and carve pumpkins. That didn't quite happen this year, but I did carve one pumpkin and talked my roommate into doing one as well. Here's how they turned out.